Soviet Women In Combat

Olga Yamschchikova of the Red Air Force shot down a Ju-88 twin-engine German bomber over Stalingrad on Sept. 24, 1942. She became the first woman night fighter pilot to score an aerial victory. While many nations are still debating whether women can perform combat functions, the Soviets proved how effective they can be during World War II. Miss Yamschchikova was a member of an all-women unit, the 586th Fighter Aviation Regiment of the 122nd Air Division which saw action from Stalingrad through the end of the war. During this period, women pilots flew 4,419 combat missions and were credited with having downed 38 enemy aircraft.